A student was arrested Tuesday after a loaded gun was found in their backpack, DeKalb County Schools said.
The gun was discovered during an administrative search of the student at Cross Keys High School.
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The student was transported to the DeKalb County Juvenile Detention Center.
Officials have not identified the student or said if any other students were involved.
“The district encourages our students to ‘see something, say something’ if they suspect a weapon is on school grounds. The district also encourages parents to discuss these types of incidents with their children and emphasizes that when a student brings a weapon to school, they are subject to district rules and Georgia law,” the district said in a news release.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes spoke to several students, and only a few knew about Tuesday’s arrest inside the high school. Others heard about it, but didn’t think it was actually true.
More than a dozen students told Fernandes they had no idea one of their fellow students had a gun inside his backpack.
As students were leaving school around 3 p.m., the principal sent a letter to parents telling them that “during an administrative search of a student they found a loaded weapon. Police arrested the student and took him to the juvenile detention center.”
Fernandes spoke to a freshman who believes she saw that student.
“I did see during my second period, I did see two policemen like walking next to like this teenager and he had like a lot of bags so I don’t know,” she said.
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Fernandes asked her if she’s concerned about the fact that several DeKalb County students have been caught with guns across the district this year
“No they’re really not, I mean usually we the students really just make the jokes about it, I mean it’s better than thinking the worst,” she said.
She said some students carry guns for protection, and she understands why.
“I kind of agree with it. It is dangerous, but you never really know if you’re going to need it,” she said.
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School police and administrators have been pushing the “see something, say something” campaign, and it seems to be working.
They’re also encouraging parents to not be afraid to speak to their kids about the consequences that come with bringing weapons on campus.
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